Car-step.



No. .8f/2,902.

` P ATENTED DEC. 3, 1907. G. G. COMER, A. BURK 61: D. MODROW.

CAR STEP.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21. 1907.

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ATTORNEYS J3 W/TNESSES ms Nokms Psransco., wAsumcraN. uA c4 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GRANT COMER, ALBRO BURK, AND DAVID MODROW, OF KALAMA, WASHINGTON.

CAR-STEP.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed May 2l. 1907. Serial No. 374.966.

lVashington, have invented a new and 1mproved Car-Step, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to car-steps, and is particularly useful in connection with devices of this class having extension steps and adapted to be used for passenger cars or coaches.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durable car-step, having an extensible step which is adapted to be operated from the platform of the car.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a car-step having the lower step extensible and so arranged that it can be easily moved into the lowered position, and adapted to be automatically returned to the normal position when a catch which holds it in the lowered position is released by being depressed from the car'platform by the foot of the operator, or by engagement with a step-cover, such as is usually employed in vconnection with vestibule cars.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more particularly described hereinafter and fully set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side view of a car platform showing our invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is a vertical cross section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a platform of a railway passenger car or coach, carried in the usual manner by the longitudinal and transverse floor timbers 2 and 3 of the car body. Mounted upon the flooring of the car are the sides 4 carrying the fixed platform steps 5 therebetween. An extensible step 6 is located underneath the fixed steps, and normally lies adjacent to the under side of the lowest of the xed steps 5, `as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the rear edges of the two upper fixed steps 5 are mounted guide brackets 7 having lateral extensions 8 secured to the steps 5 by means of screws 9. A push rod 10 is slidably arranged in the guide brackets 7 and extends upwardly toward the platform, being laterally offset and having an extension 11 proj ecting through a slot 12 in the platform 1. The extension 11 is provided at its upper end with a head 1la to facilitate the operation thereof. The guide brackets 7 are arranged substantially at the middle point of the rear edges of the fixed steps, and register with a bracket 13 mounted at substantially the middle point of the rear edge of the extension steps 6, similarly secured to the extension step by means of an extension 14 and a the latter consequently does not bind in operation. The push rod 10 has its extension 11 located in the slot 12, so that when the extension 11 is depressed to project the extension 7 the extension 11 moves within the slot, thereby allowin for the lateral movement of the push ro due to inclination of the same with respect to the extension 11.

Brackets 16 are arranged at the side ed es of the extension step and extend latera y therebeyond. Guide rods 17 mounted in the brackets 16 by means of threaded ends and bolts 18, extend upwardly 'toward the car platform and adjacent to the sides of the fixed steps. The guide rods 17 are arranged between rollers 20 mounted on pins 24 carried by side plates 19, s ecured to the sides of the fixed steps. The guide rods 17 pass through lopenings in the flanges of angle brackets 21 rigid with the side plates 19. Helical springs 22 are mounted upon `the guide rods L7 betweenthe angle brackets 21 and rigid cross heads 23 upon the guide rods. The springs normally force the extension step downward to project the same from the fixed step into the position shown in Fig. 3. The step is limited in its downward movement by the engagement of the cross heads 23 with the upper sides of the pins 25 rigid with the plates 19.

Rotatably mounted underneath the platform above the fixed step is a shaft 26 which carries a dog 27 having at the end a notch 28 and constituting a catch. The dog 27 is adapted to engage with the push rod 11, the notch 28 engaging an offset portion 29 of the push rod when the same is depressed to hold the extension step in its projected position. A lever member 30 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 26 and has an arm 31 and a second arm 32 provided with a pedal 33. The arm 31 is secured at its outer end to a helical spring 34 fastened to the frame of the car, and normally forces the arm 3 l downward to throw the catch into engagement with the offset part 29 of the push rod when the latter is de-` pressed. The arrangement is such that the tension of the spring 34 normally holds the arm 32 of the lever 30 projected above the platform through the opening the platorm above the steps.

In the operation of our device, when it is desired to lower the extension step the push rod 10 is depressed by Vmeans of its extension 11 which projects above the platform, whereby the extension step is forced downwardly against the tension of the springs 22. As the push rod is depressed the part 29 moves along the edge of the dog 27 until the part 29 slips into engagement with the recess 28, the shaft 26 being turned so that the dog 27 presses against the part 29 of the push rod through the action of the spring 34. When the notch 28 is in engagement with the part 29 of the push rod the catch holds the extension step m its projected position; when it is desired to release the projected extension step, the arm 32 of the lever member 30 is depressed by the foot of the operator and thereby the catch is thrown out of engagement with the push rod, and the springs 22 automatically return the extension step to its normal position adjacent to the lowest of the fixed steps. Inv the modern vestibule car the opening above the steps is closed by means of a hinged cover 35 when the train is moving. When this cover is in position as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2, it engages with the pedal 33 of the lever member 30, to throw the catch out of engagement with the push rod, whereby the extension step is free to assume its normal position.

Having thus described our invention we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fixed step, an extension step, means for holding said extension step normally adjacent to said fixed step, means for automatically returning said extension step to its normal position, means for holding said extension step in its projected position, and meansoperable below the platform of the car for releasing said means for holding said extension step in its projected position.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fixed step, an extension step, means for holding said extension step normally adjacent to said fixed step, means for automatically returning said extension step to its normal position, a catch adapted to hold said extension step in its projected position, and means operable below the platform of the car to release saidcatch.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fixed step, an extension step, means for holding said extension step normally adjacent to said fixed step,4 means for automatically returning said extension step to its normal position, a catch adapted to hold said extension step in its projected position, and a member arranged below the platform of the car and operable from above the platform of the car and adapted to release said catch.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a fixed step, an extension step, means for holding said extension step normally adjacent to said fixed step, a spring` adapted automatically to return said extension step to its normal position, a catch adapted to hold said extension step in its projected position, and a member adapted to be depressed below the platform of the car to release said catch.

5. VIn a device of the class described, in combination, a fixed step, an extension step, means for holding said extension step normally adjacent to said fixed step,lmeans for projecting said extension step, means for holding said extension step in a projected position, means for automatically returning said step to the normal position, and a member adapted to be operated from the car platform to release said extension step from the projected position, said member projecting above the car platform when said extension step is projected.

6. In a device of the class described, aA

fixed step having a side, an extension step having a guide rod, means for guiding said rod on said side, a spring normally forcing said extension step toward said fixed step, a push rod secured to said extension ste and adapted to he depressed to project .said extension step, a rod adapted to engage said push rod to hold said extension step in a projected position, and a member adapted to be operated from the car platform to release said rod.

7. In a device of the class described, a fixed step having sides, an extension step having guide rods, means for guiding said` rods on said sides, brackets on said sides, cross heads on said guide rods, springs mounted on said guide rods and engaging said cross heads and said brackets, normally to force said extension step toward said fixed step, a push rod secured to said extension step and adapted to be depressed to project said extension step, a catch adapted to engage said push rod to hold said extension step in a projected position, and a lever member adapted to be operated from the car platform to release said catch, said lever member having an arm projecting above the car platform when said extension step is projected.

8. In a device of the class described, a

fixed step having sides, an extension step having guide rods, means for guidingl said rods on said sides, brackets on said sides7 cross heads on said guide rods, springs mounted on said guide rods and engaging said cross heads and said brackets, normally to force said extension step toward said xed step, a push rod secured to said eXtension step and adapted to be depressed to project said extension step, a shaft, a dog on said shaft, a lever member on said shaft having an arm, and a spring secured to said lever member kand the car platform and normally forcing said arm of said lever above said platform, said dog being adapted to engage said l5 push rod to hold said extension step in a proj ected position.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE GRANT COMER. ALBRO BURK. DAVID MODROW. Witnesses:

A. H. IMUs, A. D. WILLOUGHBY. 

